Who is Md Sajjad Alam? NIA Charges Another Accused in PFI Case Linked to Dubai Funds

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The NIA has filed a charge sheet against Md Sajjad Alam.
- Alam is linked to the funding of PFI activities from Dubai.
- This marks the 18th charge in the ongoing PFI investigation.
- The PFI allegedly aims to disrupt peace and promote communal discord.
- Further investigations are ongoing to uncover deeper networks.
Patna, July 2 (NationPress) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a charge sheet against Md Sajjad Alam from East Champaran, Bihar, in relation to the anti-national activities associated with the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI). This action marks him as the 18th individual to face charges in this ongoing investigation.
The NIA submitted its supplementary charge sheet to the NIA Special Court in Patna, accusing Sajjad under multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P)A).
Sajjad, identified as an active member of PFI, was apprehended at Delhi's IGI Airport in January of this year upon returning from Dubai.
Investigations by the NIA revealed that Sajjad was funneling illegal funds from Dubai to PFI members in Bihar through a syndicate based in Karnataka and Kerala.
These funds were allegedly utilized to promote the criminal and unlawful actions of PFI, even after the organization was banned by the Union government.
The NIA noted that the broader conspiracy of PFI intends to “establish” Islamic governance in India by 2047 and includes efforts to instill fear and disrupt societal harmony through the spread of communal discord.
This case was initially registered on July 12, 2022, at the Phulwarisharif Police Station in Patna, involving 26 suspects under IPC provisions.
The NIA took charge of the investigation, invoking UA(P)A, and has previously charged 17 individuals.
The PFI module was first uncovered by the Patna Police and the ATS in 2022 while conducting physical training camps for Muslim youth in Phulwarisharif.
These camps were reportedly held at the residence of Mohammad Jalaluddin, a retired police sub-inspector from Jharkhand, alongside Athar Parvez, with the aim of indoctrinating youth against India.
Athar Parvez's brother, Manzar Alam, was implicated in the 2013 Patna Gandhi Maidan serial blasts during Narendra Modi’s ‘Hunkar Rally’.
The then Patna SSP, Manavjeet Singh Dhillon, had proposed that the case be handed over to the NIA, prompting the agency's involvement.
The NIA has indicated that ongoing investigations aim to unveil more extensive financial and operational networks linked to the banned PFI in Bihar and beyond.